Pharmaceutical Interventions in Drug-Related Problems in a Hospital Setting

The role of clinical pharmacists is directed toward the promotion, protection, and restoration of health, as well as the prevention of harm resulting from the inappropriate use of medications. Pharmaceutical intervention is a clinical activity carried out by the clinical pharmacist, a healthcare professional and member of the multidisciplinary team, with the aim of resolving or preventing problems related to pharmacotherapy. During the evaluation of medication prescriptions—an essential step in the dispensing process—the pharmacist must consider both legal and technical aspects, which may enable the identification and prevention of drug-related problems (DRPs) through appropriate pharmaceutical interventions. The type of pharmaceutical intervention performed is directly related to the identified DRP, defined as events or circumstances associated with pharmacotherapy that may lead to negative clinical outcomes. This study aimed to analyze pharmaceutical interventions carried out in patients admitted to the Medical Clinic and Adult Intensive Care Units of the University Hospital of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. This was an observational, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection. Data were obtained from electronic and/or physical patient records, medical prescriptions, and internal records from the Clinical Pharmacy Unit between August and October 2023. A total of 184 hospitalized patients received at least one pharmaceutical intervention. The majority were male (55.6%), with a mean age of 58.6 years. The most frequent DRPs were related to dose selection, dosage prescribed, and drug selection, accounting for 47.4% of all DRPs. The acceptance rate of pharmaceutical interventions was 59.4%. The most commonly involved medication classes were anti-infectives (14.3% of all interventions) and cardiovascular drugs (12.2%).